Alliance members are working to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius by reducing emissions, accelerating action, centering equity, and tracking progress.

Explore Connecticut's policies and actions across the Alliance's 10 key policy areas. Numbers presented below only reflect the number of policies in this database and thus may not reflect all climate policies pursued.

connecticut

GHG Targets + Governance

Just Transition + Equity

Industry

Pricing Carbon + Valuing Damages

Electricity Generation

Transportation

Resilience

Natural + Working Lands

Climate Finance

Buildings

total

Public Act No. 22-25; SB 4: An Act Concerning the Connecticut Clean Air Act

"To reduce carbon emissions by expanding public and private utilization of electric vehicles in Connecticut to protect human health and the environment." SB 4 gives Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) the authority to move forward with medium- and heavy-duty vehicle regulations adopted by a growing number of states from coast to coast, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. This will allow the state to proceed with adoption of various life-saving regulations that address nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution and would put more zero-emission trucks on the road, including the Advanced Clean Trucks rule and the Heavy Duty Omnibus rule. The bill also includes provisions related to state fleet electrification, zero-emission school buses, EV rebates, and EV charging.

On and after January 1, 2035, one hundred per cent of the school buses that provide
transportation for all school districts in the state shall be zero-emission school buses or alternative fuel school buses, and  on and after January 1, 2040, one hundred per cent of the school buses that provide transportation for all school districts in the state shall be zero-emission school buses.

100% Zero-Emission School Bus Fleet Requirement

2030 VMT Goal and Strategies Plan

As required by Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 21-3, on reduction of carbon emissions and preparation for the impacts of climate change, the Department of Transportation has prepared 2030 VMT Goals and Strategies. The Executive Order instructed that CTDOT set a 2030 Vehicle Miles Traveled [VMT] reduction target and develop a plan of investments to contribute to and encourage the achievement of such targeted reductions.

The purpose of including a VMT reduction target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicles individuals choose to drive in Connecticut. The target set is a 5% reduction in VMT per person by 2030 (from a 2019 baseline). While land use decisions both past and present play a very large role in VMT, as do other factors such as the economy, population demographics, fuel prices and personal choices, DOT has set forth a set of strategies that it can influence.

The strategies involving DOT that could have the largest potential influence on VMT are:

- Increase Active Transportation/Complete Streets infrastructure in areas of urban/dense residential/commercial development
- Increase in transit frequency
- Increase in transit access
- Continue to assist/partner with Municipalities who are pursuing Transit-Oriented Development
- Trip Reduction Program (e.g., employer-based programs)

An Act Concerning the Environmental Justice Program of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Enacted Senate Bill 1147, granting the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Siting Council the authority to deny permits for facilities that are unable to avoid further impacts on overburdened communities.

An Assessment of Connecticut’s Need to Adopt California’s Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emission Standards

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) released a report issued under Gov. Lamont’s Executive Order 21-3 finding that Connecticut can significantly improve air quality and public health by adopting new emission standards for medium and heavy-duty (MHD) vehicles offered for sale in Connecticut beginning in 2026.

Due by December 31, 2024. The plan must focus on hydrogen produced by renewable sources and its application in hard to decarbonize end uses, such as high-temperature industrial processes and maritime shipping. It must also describe the current and projected cost differences between powering these sectors and processes with hydrogen generated from renewable energy versus fossil fuel generation.